Buchanan Letters, DeSoto Parish, La - Grand Cane Submitted by: Karon Mathews - mathewss@ix.netcom.com; Paul Adams - padams@summitsoftware.com; Frances B. Bloodworth; and the AGS Members of the Publication Committee are in agreement to give permission for DeSoto Parish Society to re-post the afore mentioned letters with the following leader: You are hereby granted rights, unless otherwise specified, to publish and redistribute the Buchanan letters for non-commercial purposes. You must include the following statement with the publication, "The following article is from Alabama Genealogical Society MAGAZINE, Volume 9 No. 4 and/or Volume 10, No. 1 or Volume 10 No. 2. and is copyrighted. It is republished here with the permission of Alabama Genealogical Society." Billy T. Gamble, AGS membership chairman billytgamble@juno.com ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** A little history: Wilson G. Buchanan is the son of Samuel Buchanan and Nancy Herrington Buchanan; the family resided in the Grand Cane community from approximately 1834-65. Samuel died there btw 1854-1856. In 1865 Wilson moved his family to Brazos County TX. At least one of Wilson's brothers and two sisters remained in LA. Not sure where/when Nancy Herrington Buchanan died. She is not buried with kinfolk in the Buchanan family cemetery in Brazos County, so we expect to find her in LA. In March 1836, Wilson returned to Alabama to marry his sweetheart Jane B. Fleming and fetch her to LA. We have certainly enjoyed following their courtship (?) in the following letters. Karon Mathews mathewss@ix.netcom.com #1 OLD LETTER TO WILSON G. BUCKHANON Contributed by: Frances B. Bloodworth Addressed: Brooklyn ... part of page is missing May 19th Wilson G. Buckhanon Natchas La. Covington County May (no date or year given) (1835) Dear Sir I have taken up my pen to inform you that we are all in good health I receivd your letter on the first day of may you dont know how glad we were to here from you we have a varry large crop on hand our corn is vary likely and out cotten is vary unlikely your uncle hampton was out hear at crissmus and he was well and staid with me one week and he told me if I ever right to you to right how he was maken out and right to him where you was and what you are dooing he has jine the chirch and is vary steady and dooing well maryan Fleming was married the second day of december and lives in florida twon and Jane is living with them at this time and liz erstron and James magouring is maired to and lizabeth zinamon and malici etherridg and mary thomas and James Jonges is mairrd to and there is such talk of william mock and mary mason giting maired I was down at your uncle miles and your grandmothers they wer all (well?) but your aunt but she was better than she was when you started and your uncle williams family is well and maken out very well father talks like he wold move to that country if he could sell his land he com in three dolars of traveling onst and flew the way I wold be varry glad to come and see that country if it lay in my power but if ever cum a tall it be this fall hampton and Joshua and orlander tines talks like they wold come to and if I doo cum I fetch every that I can with me for in this I want to stay my father sends his respects to your father and wishes him to right give my best respects to the family my sisters sends their respects to sisters and wishes them to right nothing more at present but still remaining your respectfully William B. Howard Note: There is no date on this letter - However Howard says there is talk of William Mock marrying Mary Mason. Jane Fleming's letter of Oct. 30, 1835 says that William Mock married one of the Miss Smiths on Yellow River, so this letter was presumably written before that date. -Frances B. Bloodworth #2 OLD LETTERS TO WILSON BUCKHANAN Continued from Vol. 9:No. 4 Contributed by: Frances B. Bloodworth Addressed to Mr. Wilson Buckhanan Natchatoches La Covington County Aug the 6 1835 Dere sir these lines will inform you that I got your letter on the 6 of August You can't imagine how glad we all were to here fo you we are all in good helth at present. Nancy was married the 27 of May to Thomas Mock Cheever and lives in Brooklyn He talks of moveing that country and we have got father nerly in the notion to go and leve his land I think it wold be best for us all I think if nothing hapens we will make enough to move out thare and git land I shall make the rise of three or four hundred dollars. I hever enjoyed myself half as well sense you left this country as I did before There is nobody for me to enjoy myself with Your Uncel William has got a hot Texas fever on him at this time Mister Fleming talks of to Texas this winter but he ses he intendes to come to that country and look at it first and if you don't be smart you will loose Jane for there is a good many a picking at her but ..there is danger of giting ... soon. Old misses Hudges is dead. She died the 30th of July. There has been a gra dele of sicness in this country. Give my best respects to all of the family You must right to me as soon as you git this Nothing more at present but yours respectfully William B. Howard Note: Parts of this letter are missing. The missing parts are indicated by...Addressed to Mr. W. G.Buchan..., State Louisiana, Natchitoches, Post Office Coving County Al.. Augus 22 1.... (Written in 1835 as verified by other letters) FBB #3 Dear Sir With a great deal of pleasure I.... by letter Hopeing you are all well we are all well but father hee has the fever but is men.... is a great deal of sickness hear we have had.... grandma and old mr hart is dead and mr .... weatherford and anna Franklyn and we have .... wedings since you left syd and Mary Elizabeat .... ridg nancy and the doctor mary thomas and James .... I don't know how many more we will have for .... girls want to marry but the young men are all .... about hear the girls wont have them I have ta.... up the country and like it very well and one down to Florida but was very disatisfide there and that is the reason I havens written sooner I never received your letter until the 28th July Father speaks of coming to the sexes shortly to look at the place and if he likes he will move this winter give my best respects to your mother and both the girls and tell them both to write to me and you must write as quick as you get this letter and let us know something about the people in texes ter this as a friendly letter but not a love letter nothing more at present but remain your true and affectionate friend until death yours Jane B Fleming When this you see remember me though many miles between us be Surname: Buckhanan Article Title: William Howard to Wilson Buckhanan, L,A Periodical: Alabama Genealogical Society Magazine Volume: 10 Number: 1 (January 1976) Surname: Buckhanon Article Title: William Howard to Wilson Buckhanon, Alabama Periodical: Alabama Genealogical Society Magazine Volume: 9 Number: 4 (October 1975) #4 Addressed: Brooklyn Ala. 21 Nov. 1835 Wilson g Buckhanan Louisianna Natchitoches post office Covington County October 30 1835 Dear Sir I now write you a few lines to inform you that we are all in tolerable health at this time hopeing that you are all in the same good health I received your last letter and you desired my sentiments on matrimony I don't feel disposed to give my sentiments on matrimony to no person at this time but hereafter if I doo I will let you know it. I have nothing worthy of your attention at this time but william mock is maried he married one of the miss smiths on yellow river margaret mock died the 22 of october and samuel bradley died the 26 of Oct and we have had several other deaths in our settlements and a great deal of sickness at this time if you dont mind thay wont be nary girl in alabama for you They all marry so fast them that aint married wishes to bee the greater part of them tell the girls howdy and the rest of the family tell them thay must write and you must write as soon as you get this nothing more at present but still remain your true and affectionate friend until death Jane B Fleming #5 Addressed: Brooklyn Ala Sept 24th Mr. Wilson G. Buchanan Grand Cane Louisiana Natchitoches Alabama Covington Co. Sept 23 1839 Dear Children I have taken up my pen once more to write you I received your letter dated in august some 2 weeks past and would have written before this time but have been from home ever since I had to attend Butler cort and also at Sparta and only got home last Friday night at 2 o clock in the morning I was glad to fern that times was as well with you all as it was also glad to hear all was in good helth we are all up the old lady is somewhat on the grunt as usual there has been more death in this part of gods vineyard in the last 3 or 4 months than there has been before in five years it is not in the power of me to recolect all at this time that comes in the scope of boa ;h counties much less round in the ad joining counties but I will try to give you a few of the most interesting departures Mrs John Maning uncle Abram Jones Mr. William Gy that lived at George Stonemans (?) place by Brooklyn Stephen Floyd aunt darkis Duboss married old Glidewell last February brot 2 babys one alive the other dead since boath William Hart lost his second youngest daughter last week Mr. Prewit that overseed for the Joneses at I Stone mans (?) place maria James Foshur daughter las fall' She brot him a fine female relation near to it than old tempy bad chance and so on times is hard in this part of the world crops is all cut off there was good prospects for cotton crops six weeks ago also for peas and potatoes but it is all moste out of the question to make seed as it has not raind any inthe two last months to do any good the fact is if it dos not rain soon it will be bad time for water the wells has gon dry Jenerly the water courses is all most stops there streams I expected to have been in that part of the world before this time but the scersity of money has kept me from doing so I am in debt and has not made anything in the last four years to pay a debt with the railroad first prevented that has entirely faild then I bilt a sawmill on black water and before I maid anything sold out hired 4 of my boys to the men last January and the dam has been broak all the time the ansbrook have sold out and leves me out of pocket 1 000 dollars which will all most make a smash of me as I am in debt and nothing to pay with but my property I will make ten or twelve bags of cotton but those will be but a drop in the bucket towards the money I owe the fact is I am out of hart as nothing I try at seems to prosper I have got a good school convenint to me the children is all going but the 2 last margret outlern any thing that ever I saw has been going 4 weeks can spell any word in the book she by hearing Dock saying his multiplication over lernt it first Judg Jones represents us in the legislature again doctor Ballard ran but was worse beaten than Dosier or Howard by 20 votes Howard is up for next year you said in your letter that you had not had one from me in a long time it is strange you cant git my letters I am sure I have written 3 or 4 in the last twelve months when you git this be shure to write to me Ned and Elviry is well I was at Mary Anns last sunday She was unwell but up I will come to see you yet this fall if I can there is 2 men to be bide for there lives at Hour court one for murder the other for negro stealing they movd these trials from Butler and Barber counties I am compeld to end for want of paper most affectionately L B Fleming